WARRIOR FOOTBALL

Warriors end courtship of Tate Forcier

The Hawaii football team has abandoned its pursuit of former Michigan quarterback Tate Forcier.

People familiar with the situation said Forcier did not project to meet the requirements to join the Warriors for UH's fall semester, which begins Aug. 22. If he had chosen to attend UH and met those standards, Forcier would have been allowed to practice but not play in games in 2011, in accordance with NCAA rules.

UH head coach Greg McMackin is not permitted to comment publicly on unsigned recruits. Forcier did not return messages left on his cell phone Tuesday.

The Warriors are recruiting two other quarterbacks. Both are eligible to compete for the Warriors beginning in January.

The Warriors are seeking to improve the competition at quarterback for the 2012 season. Bryant Moniz, who led the nation in passing yards in 2010, and Shane Austin will be fifth-year seniors this season.

David Graves, who will be a sophomore this year, is projected as the leading candidate for 2012. Cayman Shutter also has made progress. Kevin Spain did not play in 2010 after having shoulder surgery. Jeremy Higgins, a 2010 Saint Louis School graduate who attended Utah State this past year, has transferred to UH.

Higgins, who is not on scholarship, can practice but not play this fall. Justin Alo, who was signed as a grayshirt, still has not met the requirements to join the Warriors in January.

Forcier was a highly regarded prospect in 2009. He signed with Michigan, and was the Wolverines' primary starter in 2009. He lost his starting job in 2010, was declared ineligible for the bowl game, and then left the Michigan program in January. Plans to transfer to Miami did not materialize.

Last month, Forcier contacted the Warriors. Two weeks ago, Forcier and McMackin had a 1-hour telephone conversation during which Forcier was offered an official recruiting trip. A condition of the trip was UH's receipt of Forcier's transcripts.

UH received the transcripts this past Friday.

On Monday, Forcier told ESPN and the Star-Advertiser he would be visiting UH this weekend.

The projections of Forcier's eligibility apparently aborted those plans.

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